The original Art on Horseback painting reminds me of wild horses running free, the wind blowing in their manes, and the sound of thundering hooves on the ground. The patriotic color palette also lends a sense of pride and purpose. When I was a teenager I dreamed of becoming an Olympic rider and representing the USA. I worked really hard to compete through the Grand Prix level before I had an injury and decided to let go of my competitive goals. I began to focus on more creative aspects of my riding including liberty, trick training, bridleless, and performing. Then one day I was inspired to blend dressage with art and the rest is history. I am a strong believer in big goals and having determination to pursue them. But sometimes you need to allow your heart to run wild, free to discover your true purpose in life.

VIDEO CLIP from Tik Tok down below!

I prepared the original canvas with a heavy layer of texture and a rich sienna brown background. The first day on horseback we worked on the background using a large paint roller to add blue paint and water for the drip effect. The second ride we painted the two horses and added a pop of red to the color palette. In the third and fourth sessions we kept adding more depth, contrast, and detail to the horses.

Each painting/riding session includes walk, trot, canter, flying changes, sidepass, rein-back, and piaffe. Rovandio is currently 22 years old so I keep his sessions short and sweet so I do not stress his body. I want him to enjoy painting and have him stay sound as long as possible. Each painting is an accumulation of two decades and the thousands of hours we have spent together.

I am also excited to share that Rovandio signed the piece himself! The red brushstrokes near his hoofprint were painted using a brush in his mouth. Click here to see his personal online gallery.

Details

• Dimensions 16” x 20” with a 2” white border

• Fine Art Giclee Paper thick (21-mil) heavy weight (310g) paper with a textured, natural-white, matte finish

• Signed and numbered by Sandra - this print is limited to 100 copies